Vent controlled liquid measuring means



B. WlLHELM 2,507,362

v VENT CONTROLLED LIQUID MEASURING MEANS May 9, 1950 Filed Aug. 13, 1945 INVENTOR. Bernhard 2V1 ZheZm Patented May 9, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENT CONTROLLED LIQUID MEASURING MEANS This invention relates to liquid dispensing apparatus, and more particularly to an improved bottle stopper dispenser having means to deliver a measured quantity of liquid when the bottle or other container is tipped to a horizontal position.

One object of this invention is to provide a device of the above nature having a dome-shaped chamber which is provided with a horizontal open vent tube in one side.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature having a control tube adjustably fitted into the shank of the stopper to regulate the speed of flow of the liquid passing from the bottle into the dome at each dispensing operation, and thus controlling the amount of air trapped in said dome and container.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature, having a side spout located opposite the air vent tube and having a hinged cover carrying a depending weighted stem for engaging the bottom of said spout to limit the amount of opening of said opening of said cover.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature Which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efiicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view of a bottle having the improved stopper dispenser installed thereinthe bottle being shown in vertical position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same, with the bottle shown in horizontal position, and with the hinged cover shown in open position.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the dispenser shown by itself.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the control tube shown by itself.

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral H1 indicates a bottle having a reduced neck II which is adapted to receive the stopper dispenser forming the subject of the present invention.

The improved stopper dispenser comprises a rigid double-walled shank l2 constructed of metal or plastic, and which is adapted to be surrounded by a tubular cork sealing band l3, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The shank I2 is provided with a central cylindrical aperture [4 open at the top and bottom, and an outer annular channel l5 closed at the top and open at the bottom. The shank i2 is integrally connected at its top to a dome-shaped chamber 17 into one side of which extends a horizontal open vent tube l8 communicating with the outer atmosphere. The channel [5 is connected by an inclined passage iii to a side spout l9, said passage 16 being located directly opposite from the air vent tube l8, and serving to conduct liquid from the bottle H3 into the spout I9 and thence to a suitable receptacle (not shown) The spout I9 is closed at the top by a flat cover 20 having a rear curled eye 2| embracing a hinge pin 22 which is secured to a pair of eyes 22a on a lug 23 projecting outwardly from the side of the dome I! at a point directly opposite from the vent tube H3. The cover 20 is provided with a depending rigid stem 24 having at its lower end a cylindrical weight 25 to cause said cover to close automatically when in the vertical position shown in Fig. 1. The weight 25 is adapted to engage the bottom of the spout IQ for limiting the amount of opening of the hinged cover 20 when the bottle i0 is swung to the horizontal dispensing position shown in Fig. 2.

In order to control the amount of air which will be entrapped within the dome and bottle at each dispensing operation, provision is made of a control tube 26 which is fitted detachably into the bottom of the central aperture M of the shank l2, and is provided at its lower end with a solid enlarged knurled head 27. The control tube 26 has an open top 28 and a pair of spaced vertical side slots 29, 29, leaving a vertical front strip 30 and a vertical rear strip 3 l.

The strip 30 is provided with a narrow slot 32, one side of which has a graduated scale 33 to facilitate the adjustment of the control tube 26 accurately with respect to the shank I2.

The control tube 26 is adapted to be accurately held in adjusted position by a horizontal set screw 34, passing through both walls of the shank l2, and having a reduced end 34a located in the slot 32, said set screw having a kerfed head 35 to receive a screw driver, for convenience in manipulation.

Operation In use, when the bottle I0 is tipped from the vertical position (shown in Fig. 1) to the pouring position, which may be horizontal, as shown in Fig. 2, or tilted even further, a part of the liquid will flow directly through the spout l9 and a further part will pass through the control tube 26 and the central aperture M of the double wall shank 12 into the lower part of the dome l1. During this initial period, air to replace the liquid flowing out of the spout will enter the dome through the vent I8 and pass upwardly into the bottle [0. This will continue until the liquid in the dome ii reaches or passes above the level as shown in Fig. 2, thus sealing the vent tube against the intake or further air from the atmosphere and thus stopping the further dispensing of the liquid from the bottle. The adjustment of the control tube 26 will determine the amount of air which will thus be entrapped in the dome chamber and container, and this will regulate the amount of liquid dispensed, with a fair degree of accuracy, irrespective of the temperature and the amount of liquid remaining in the bottle. It will be understood that the greater the protrusion of the control tube 26 out of the shank l2, the more rapid will be the flow of liquid from the bottle into the dome, thus sealing off the vent tube I8 more quickly and reducing the amount of liquid dispensed at each operation.

While-there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure, but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit, In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent is:

1. In a liquid dispenser adapted to be detachably secured in the mouth of a bottle or other container, a double-walled hollow stopper shank, a hollow dome chamber connected to the top of said shank, said chamber having on one side a horizontal interior air vent tube leading to the atmosphere, a spout connected to the outer channel of said shank and located directly opposite sai'd vent tube, said hollow shank having a control tube detaehably secured within the central aperture thereof, and means to adjust the longitudinal position of said control tube within said aperture.

2. In a liquid dispenser adapted to be detachably secured in the mouth of a bottle or other container, a double-walled hollow stopper shank, a hollow dome chamber connected to the top of said shank, said chamber having on one side an interior air vent tube leading to the atmosphere, a spout connected to the outer channel of said shank and located opposite said vent tube, said double-walled shank having secured thereto a control tube having apertures to permit the free flow of liquid and air therethrough and a set screw passing through both walls of said shank and through said control tube for holding said control tube in adjusted position.

3. In a liquid dispenser adapted to be detachably secured in the mouth of a bottle or other container, a double-walled hollow stopper shank, a hollow dome chamber connected to the top of said shank, said chamber having on one side an interior air vent tube leading to the atmosphere, a spout connected to the outer channel of said shank and located opposite said vent tube, and an apertured control tube fitted into the central aperture of said shank, said control tube having an elongated slot provided with a graduated scale for permitting the accurate adjustment of said control tube with respect to said shank.

4. In a liquid dispenser adapted to be detachv ably secured in the mouth of a bottle or other container, a double-walled hollow stopper shank, a hollow dome chamber connected to the top of said shank, said chamber having on one side an interior air vent tube leading to the atmosphere, a spout connected to the outer channel of said shank and located opposite said vent tube, the cover of said spout being provided with a weighted depending stem adapted to engage with the lower wall of said spout when said bottle has been tipped to a horizontal position, and thus limit the amount of opening of said cover.

BERNHARD WILI-IELM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNIl ED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 376,254 Nye Jan. 10, 1888 1,195,902 Benedict Aug. 22, 1916 2,165,570 Olson July 11, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 22,299 Great Britain Sept. 11, 1902 302,793 Italy Nov. 8, 1932 

